The end of 7 months of hell
Discussion
First of all sorry for posting under a sudoname but due to the sensitive nature and legal content I thought it essential, even though I am a regular.
First of all some background, I have just spent the last two days at Crown Court as a character witness for a good friend of mine. He was wrongly accussed of "incitement of racial hatred" and a longer much more wordy charge along the same lines. The circumstances are that last April he was a passenger in a van that drove down the road in SE London where Steven Lawerance was killed, the date was the 10th anniversary of the murder and and at the memorial where several people one of whom was a notorious black and minority right activist Linda Bellos (a google search will tell a lot about this womans politics). It was alledged that a shout of "best thing that could of happened" was heard and that my friend was seen looking out of the van window, that is the sum total of the alledged incident. Ms Bellos filed a formal complaint to the local community safety unit and a case was prepared including an interview being conducted by pretty senior detectives. This was passed to the CPS as "all racial crimes are" and the CPS decided to prosecute as "all racial crimes are" regardless of the strength of the case. In summary the prosecution had 3 witnesses that claimed to have heard the shout and seen the van passenger, one was shown in court to only have 30% hearing i.e almost deaf, the second was the "business" and "physical" female partner of Ms Bellos who contradicted herself several times in the box and the third was Ms Bellos herself who produced a statement that was shown in court to be wholely flawed when compared to the CCTV footage of the incident that showed she wasn't even looking in the right direction when the van passed in short there was no credible evidence. The defence was that yes he was there, yes he looked out the window (to see what was going on) but no he hadn't shouted anything, full stop thats it.
This case went on for a week, cost tens of thousands, he has had 8 pre trial hearings, days off work, and travel to central london. He has lived a living hell for 7 months knowing that he was innocent but if he couldn't prove it he could have been looking at upto 2 years in prison. He has a wife and a 10 year old daughter, he has had to endure the press at his house and in court, his daughter has had comments at school and today the local paper has carried the story on the front page with a photo and his name and address, which since the deadline was last wednesday only shows the prosecutions case and implies he is a rascist.
I know this man, I have done for years and I have stood in court under oath to say he is a good, hard working, honest and reliable man free from racial biggotry and bias. As did another close friend who incidently was herself black.
Today when the Jury took almost no time to return a not guilty verdict half his life came back, the other is still missing with the stigma of mud sticks, since it is todays front page his daughter has now got to face more abuse on monday, he lives in a very multi cultural area and has neighbours of many races these people have all read the paper, nothing overly sinister has happened yet but he is very concious of possible bricks and windows events. Next friday when the local paper comes out again it will be old news and doubtfull they'll even bother with a not guilty report. But in the mean time the media have trashed an innocent mans life.
The whole system has been at fault. Post McPhearson the metropolitan police are obsessively paranoid about racism, the CPS are of the same ilke as is the entire legal system. At no stage did any individual in authority have the balls to say "this case is a crock of sh1t and has no evidence" they have all side steped the issue and passed it all the way so that a jury would have to decide and as such nobody in the system would look like they'd thrown it out. In the mean time they have put an innocent man who is appalled at being labeled a rascist through hell.
Compensation ? no chance, not even loss of earnings, just legal fees and travel get awarded, no sorry, no kiss my arse or anything. Probably the closest to any of that was a smile from the detective who's case it was when the verdict was read out.
The system stinks.
First of all some background, I have just spent the last two days at Crown Court as a character witness for a good friend of mine. He was wrongly accussed of "incitement of racial hatred" and a longer much more wordy charge along the same lines. The circumstances are that last April he was a passenger in a van that drove down the road in SE London where Steven Lawerance was killed, the date was the 10th anniversary of the murder and and at the memorial where several people one of whom was a notorious black and minority right activist Linda Bellos (a google search will tell a lot about this womans politics). It was alledged that a shout of "best thing that could of happened" was heard and that my friend was seen looking out of the van window, that is the sum total of the alledged incident. Ms Bellos filed a formal complaint to the local community safety unit and a case was prepared including an interview being conducted by pretty senior detectives. This was passed to the CPS as "all racial crimes are" and the CPS decided to prosecute as "all racial crimes are" regardless of the strength of the case. In summary the prosecution had 3 witnesses that claimed to have heard the shout and seen the van passenger, one was shown in court to only have 30% hearing i.e almost deaf, the second was the "business" and "physical" female partner of Ms Bellos who contradicted herself several times in the box and the third was Ms Bellos herself who produced a statement that was shown in court to be wholely flawed when compared to the CCTV footage of the incident that showed she wasn't even looking in the right direction when the van passed in short there was no credible evidence. The defence was that yes he was there, yes he looked out the window (to see what was going on) but no he hadn't shouted anything, full stop thats it.
This case went on for a week, cost tens of thousands, he has had 8 pre trial hearings, days off work, and travel to central london. He has lived a living hell for 7 months knowing that he was innocent but if he couldn't prove it he could have been looking at upto 2 years in prison. He has a wife and a 10 year old daughter, he has had to endure the press at his house and in court, his daughter has had comments at school and today the local paper has carried the story on the front page with a photo and his name and address, which since the deadline was last wednesday only shows the prosecutions case and implies he is a rascist.
I know this man, I have done for years and I have stood in court under oath to say he is a good, hard working, honest and reliable man free from racial biggotry and bias. As did another close friend who incidently was herself black.
Today when the Jury took almost no time to return a not guilty verdict half his life came back, the other is still missing with the stigma of mud sticks, since it is todays front page his daughter has now got to face more abuse on monday, he lives in a very multi cultural area and has neighbours of many races these people have all read the paper, nothing overly sinister has happened yet but he is very concious of possible bricks and windows events. Next friday when the local paper comes out again it will be old news and doubtfull they'll even bother with a not guilty report. But in the mean time the media have trashed an innocent mans life.
The whole system has been at fault. Post McPhearson the metropolitan police are obsessively paranoid about racism, the CPS are of the same ilke as is the entire legal system. At no stage did any individual in authority have the balls to say "this case is a crock of sh1t and has no evidence" they have all side steped the issue and passed it all the way so that a jury would have to decide and as such nobody in the system would look like they'd thrown it out. In the mean time they have put an innocent man who is appalled at being labeled a rascist through hell.
Compensation ? no chance, not even loss of earnings, just legal fees and travel get awarded, no sorry, no kiss my arse or anything. Probably the closest to any of that was a smile from the detective who's case it was when the verdict was read out.
The system stinks.
As you say, the system stinks. This probably cost a lot less than not proceeding (financially). If they had said that it was bollox in the first place it would have stirred up a lot of media attention, possible unrest, and all the associated legal costs.
To potentially destroy your mate is 'cheaper' in the long run.
Take comfort in the fact that todays headlines are tomorrow's chip wrappings - it's true, this will all be forgotten well before Christmas - I hope, for your mate and his family's sake.
To potentially destroy your mate is 'cheaper' in the long run.
Take comfort in the fact that todays headlines are tomorrow's chip wrappings - it's true, this will all be forgotten well before Christmas - I hope, for your mate and his family's sake.
If the witness statements are shown to be fabricated can nothing along the lines of contempt of court or prejury be used?
As for the local paper thing, surely something can be done here, like invasion of privacy etc or libel. I'd write to them and ask for a full apology on the front page with a pciture of the journalist who was too quick to draw conclusions.
As for the local paper thing, surely something can be done here, like invasion of privacy etc or libel. I'd write to them and ask for a full apology on the front page with a pciture of the journalist who was too quick to draw conclusions.
Its not just the local press the BBC have carried the story both online and on Radio news (nothing seen on TV yet) all with the same twisted slant, I sat in the public gallery with 6 reporters this morning.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3226810.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3226810.stm
Alongside many of the discussions here on PH about the anonymity of the accused in rape cases, it strikes me that there should be anonymity for the accused in any crime so that the 'mud' cannot stick afterwards if the accused is found innocent - and this is a classic case.
The media love to judge in any 'sensational' case brought to trial, but are very slow to follow up when found to be wrong in their preconceptions.
Without prejudice, what are Mr. Huntly's chances in life, if he is innocent, given the media coverage?
I am not informed (other than media coverage) to judge the position, but in the abstract - and not so abstract media - he has been pre-judged. If he is found guilty, the media will be condemning an dself-congratulatory on their wisdom, but in this, or other cases, they are not so vocal when they get it wrong. Anonymity of the accused would seem to be the only mitigating course of action...
The media love to judge in any 'sensational' case brought to trial, but are very slow to follow up when found to be wrong in their preconceptions.
Without prejudice, what are Mr. Huntly's chances in life, if he is innocent, given the media coverage?
I am not informed (other than media coverage) to judge the position, but in the abstract - and not so abstract media - he has been pre-judged. If he is found guilty, the media will be condemning an dself-congratulatory on their wisdom, but in this, or other cases, they are not so vocal when they get it wrong. Anonymity of the accused would seem to be the only mitigating course of action...
sjc said:
Amazing, I saw the story on Teletext a few hours ago and come on here and read this. I sincerely hope your mate gets his life back together and as for his accusers.......why?
>> Edited by sjc on Friday 21st November 23:41
Easy - that Linda Belos is one vicious, vindictive bitch of a woman. It made me laugh tonight when R5 described her as a management consultant, hilarious given the mess she left Lambeth Council in. Stupid carpet munching tart
To quote the judge in his summing up he said to the Jury "Ms Bellos describes herself as a Management Consultant, do not be fooled into believing that is a management consultant as you and I would imagine one, this is a woman who has made a career out of looking for racial and sexual discrimination in public bodies" a good old boy who was one of the sharpest 70 year olds I have ever seen, there was no pulling the wool over his eyes.
The great thing about this is that your mate has been found not guilty. If it was myself now I would take out a civil case for compensation, surley there must be some solicitor who could take this on and win given the facts that the accusor was found gulilty of lieing by a jury of her peers. people like her do the cause of anti racisum severe harm as instead of helping integration they perpetuate a them and us. In Bristol there is still calls for the white folk to apologies for the wealth of the city being built on slavery. Wrong as it was why keep banging on about it, the jews do not keep on hating the Germans, they moved on. No amount of money could compensate your friend for the effects this must have had on his life but I feel he should take it further, this woman should be bankrupted with the court costs and compensation awards against her but I fear she will just move on to her next target.
Please pass on my good wishes for the future to you friend.
Please pass on my good wishes for the future to you friend.
spaximus said:
The great thing about this is that your mate has been found not guilty. If it was myself now I would take out a civil case for compensation, surley there must be some solicitor who could take this on and win given the facts that the accusor was found gulilty of lieing by a jury of her peers. people like her do the cause of anti racisum severe harm as instead of helping integration they perpetuate a them and us. In Bristol there is still calls for the white folk to apologies for the wealth of the city being built on slavery. Wrong as it was why keep banging on about it, the jews do not keep on hating the Germans, they moved on. No amount of money could compensate your friend for the effects this must have had on his life but I feel he should take it further, this woman should be bankrupted with the court costs and compensation awards against her but I fear she will just move on to her next target.
Please pass on my good wishes for the future to you friend.
sounds good to me!
cheers and best wished to all concerned.
MoJo.
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